Zombies, Malware Procurement, and Iran’s Cyber Attack – Daily Intelligence

FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM

1. Cyber Security Internships—build the resume. Also from Jillian Hamilton, “For students in a two or four year program in a field related to cyber security, the 2014 Secretary’s Honor Program Cyber Student Volunteer Initiative provides the opportunity to gain valuable cyber security experience. Required skills and expertise are dependent on the assignment and location. Some positions could require the ability to acquire a clearance, and all positions are subject to a background check.”

THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT

1. CONOP 8888—Zombie Attack. ForeignPolicy.Com’s Gordon Lubold reports, “Incredibly, the Defense Department has a response if zombies attacked and the armed forces had to eradicate flesh-eating walkers in order to ‘preserve the sanctity of human life’ among all the ‘non-zombie humans.’” Buried on the military’s secret computer network is an unclassified document, obtained by Foreign Policy, called ‘CONOP 8888.’ It’s a zombie survival plan, a how-to guide for military planners trying to isolate the threat from a menu of the undead—from chicken zombies to vegetarian zombies and even ‘evil magic zombies’—and destroy them.

2. Buying foreign policy favor. WashingtonPost.Com’s Colby Itkowitz reports, “Based on what is publicly reported, foreign governments spent millions in 2013 to develop relationships within the United States with members of Congress, federal agencies and even the media, according to an analysis from the ever-informative Sunlight Foundation. . . . Generally, it’s easy to surmise that the countries spending the most on U.S. lobbyists are ones with substantial energy, trade, immigration, agriculture or other notable business dealings in Washington. But it’s not entirely clear why some countries depend on their diplomats here to cultivate relationships while others look for outside help.”

3. Iran’s ballistic missiles. Reuters’ Louis Charbonneau and Parisa Hafezi report, “Despite apparently reducing illicit purchases that breach U.N. sanctions, Iran is pursuing development of ballistic missiles, a confidential U.N. report says, posing an acute challenge to six powers negotiating with Tehran to rein in its nuclear program. On Sunday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described as ‘stupid and idiotic’ Western expectations for his country to curb its missile program. He decreed mass production of ballistic weapons, striking a defiant tone just before nuclear talks resumed on Wednesday in Vienna. The high-stakes negotiations aim for a deal by a July 20 deadline to end a long stand-off that has raised the risk of a wider Middle East war.” See also, Hagel says no nukes for Iran.

4. Ukraine, a wave of calm. AP’s Yuras Karmanau reports from Mariupol, “Pro-Russian insurgents have retreated from government buildings in a major eastern Ukrainian city as steelworkers began citizen patrols, giving residents hope that a wave of anarchy had come to an end. . . . The first major citizen patrol was held in Mariupol on Thursday, local police spokeswoman Yulia Lafazan told The Associated Press. There are currently about 100 groups of men consisting of two policemen and six to eight steelworkers patrolling Mariupol streets . . . .”

5. Afghanistan’s Islamist resource pool. Khaama.Com reports, “According to reports, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has been recruiting thousands of Afghan refugees to fight against the rebel forces in Syria. The Afghan refugees are also granted Iranian residency, $500 a month, school registration for their children and charity card to help the Assad regime, according to Afghan and Western officials. An Afghan religious leader Ayatullah Mohaghegh Kabul has confirmed that the Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran convince the Afghan youth to fight in Syria.”

CONTRACT WATCH

1. $55 million worth of Lakotas, please. MilitaryAerospace.Com’s John Keller reports, “Airbus Helicopters in Herndon, Va. (formerly EADS North America), will build 10 UH-72 Lakota utility helicopters for the U.S. Army under terms of a $55.4 million contract awarded Thursday. The contract from the Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., calls for Airbus Helicopters to provide the 10 UH-72A helicopters with Raytheon AN/ARC-231 Airborne Communication System radios. The Army ordered four Lakota helicopters last February in a $22.9 million contract.”

2. Malware procurement. NextGov.Com’s Frank Konkel reports, “The FBI seeks a commercial supplier of malicious software to supply the intelligence agency with a steady stream of 30 to 40 gigabytes per day of old variants and new, unique malware for research purposes. According to a contract solicitation notice, the FBI seeks to ingest a variety of malware files through machine-to-machine communication, though it makes clear the feed ‘shall be pulled to the FBI, not pushed to the FBI,’ ensuring the agency has control over when it takes in the infected files.”

3. Pay cut for nuke weapons contractors. GovExec.Com’s Douglas P. Guarino reports, “The for-profit companies that run the U.S. nuclear weapons complex might have a pay cut in their future, though by how much and exactly when is still unclear. . . . Lately these contracts have been under increased scrutiny due to repeated cost overruns, delays and security failures across the nuclear weapons complex. . . . One significant change that appears to be in the works is an effort to make the maximum fee potentially available to the contractor smaller, and to have much of that fee be based on a fixed amount.”

TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY

1. Internet, like syrup. Slate.Com’s David Auerbach reports, “Many customers are already living with a virtual Internet brownout. Tier 1 Internet provider Level 3, which provides top-level ‘backbone’ services that reach the entire world, has posted several scary updates on the state of affairs. General counsel Michael Mooney observes that the ISPs are playing a game of chicken by demanding content providers pay them before they build out any further infrastructure.” See also, “The Future of the Internet.”

2. Grieving robot loss. NextGov.Com contributor Adrienne LaFrance reports, “Nereus was about to complete the deepest dive of its mission when its video feed ‘abruptly went dark.’ This had happened before, and scientists weren’t concerned. Nereus could still reach the surface with its lines of communication down; it would just take longer than usual. But Nereus didn’t surface in one piece. Fragments appeared as white dots in the water. ‘By then we knew,’ Kostel said. ‘Nereus was gone.’ His tribute is, simply put, heartbreaking.”

3. Iran’s cyber assault. FierceGovernmentIT.Com’s Molly Bernhart Walker reports, “An Iran-based group called the Ajax Security Team has been ‘somewhat successful’ in targeting U.S. defense contractors and political dissidents within its own country through expanding offensive cyber capabilities, finds a report published by cybersecurity firm FireEye. . . . The Ajax Security Team engages in malware-based espionage consistent with the Iranian government and military’s censorship tactics, but also engages in traditional cybercrime – making it unclear as to whether or not the group operates in isolation or is part of a coordinated, government-sponsored effort . . . .” Read the FireEye report.

POTOMAC TWO-STEP

1. Lunch with Hillary: “The Clinton Foundation is hoping to bring in at least $250,000 for the “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” with an online auction ending May 29. The winning bidder and a guest will be treated to between 45 minutes and an hour with the former president and former secretary of state and first lady, during a meal at the foundation’s headquarters in New York City. The lunch, which also includes a photo with the Clintons, will be scheduled within a year of the auction.”

2. How should I know: “Seemingly hinting at some frustration, National Security Adviser Susan Rice said it beats her when asked whether any more information will come from the recently announced special committee to investigate Benghazi. ‘Dang if I know,’ Rice said . . . . ‘You know, House and Senate committees have pronounced on this repeatedly. So it’s hard to imagine what further will come of yet another committee,’ said Rice, who was the U.S ambassador to the United Nations at the time of the attacks.”

OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS

1. “Keep Your Friends Close, But Keep Russia Closer.” USNews.Com contributor Aki Peritz and Faris Alikhan argue, “It should go without saying that America better pursues its own self-interest when we talk to our real and perceived adversaries. Despite our lone superpower status, we still need other countries to achieve our own goals—and whether we like it or not, Russia is a critical partner in meeting them.”

2. “Gitmo: Too dangerous to release? Not so fast.” Reuters’ contributor Daphne Eviatar argues, “If these men are guilty of supporting or conspiring in terrorism, the government may prosecute them for that. If they’re not, then the clock is ticking: It will soon have to let them go.”

3. “FCC Proves Yet Again That It’s Out to Kill Net Neutrality.” Wired.Com contributor Art Brodsky argues, “The damage is already done. It was done months ago. And the FCC did nothing to stop it. Regardless of what rule the FCC finally approves, and defends through the years of court challenges, it already established the bad precedent that big ISPs can cause traffic congestion, demand tribute to fix it, and get away with it.”